dienst



Sept. 2, 1924.

1,507,050 K. DIENST PRQCESS FOR THE STORAGE 0F GRAIN Filed April 19 1921 Patented Sept. 2, 1924;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

1 mm. mmvs'r, or cnennom'rnnnune, NEAR BERLIN, GERMANY.

PROCESS FOR THE STORAGE OF GRAIN.

Application filed April 19, 1921. Serial 1%, 462,780.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL DIENST, a citizen of the Republic of Germany, of 23 Schillerstrasse, Charlottenburg, near Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Storage of Grain, for which an ap illication for patent was filed in Germany, ay 31, 1917, and of which the following is a specification.

below that degree customary for grain ca pable of being milled. As is often done in order to render the grain capable of being ground, water is added preparatory to grinding, however such procedure will be followed by some drawbacks. For instance it is very difiicult when moistening the grain, to maintain the exact quantity of water .to be added, and besides it is more difficult to moisten the core of the flour particles uniformly, the more the grain has been driedout. The moisture mainly adheres to the bran and in consequence causes a more diflicult grinding, consuming more ower, and besides it rapidly damages the ran,*especially if the latter isexposed to a warm outside temperature. On the other hand it has been ascertained that the moistening process might be wrongly used for if the grain is moistened in excess, the flour is consequently too moist.

For the production of bright and clear flour a greater content of moisture in the grain is required than that with wh ch the grain may be permanently stored, since 1 1 the case of dry ain the husk of the--m'd1-" vidual grains will be torn up and conseuently the marketing value of the gram be decreased. If it is desired to obtain bright flour from dry grain,.a ver fine screening is required, causing again a argenconsumption of motive power. Besides, the product will suffer as regards its condition, since it. will be partly ground in excess and produce a flour of bad baking quality. On the other hand heavy damage in consequence of the A subsequent moistening. Therefore, it appears desirable to keep the corn during per- 1 manent storage in such a condition, that it will yield the largest output of flour possible, and in a marketable state.

For this purpose'the process of cool storage by means of refrigeratin plants, such as are known to be used for ot er vegetables have been suggested, that is to say the grain is shut up in compartments, for instance silo-boxes, in which it is stored in a cool state and maintained in this state permanently at about i2 centigrade. change of air constantly required for maintaining the 'coolin action is' not eifected in the "presence of t e grain stored, but the receptacles containing the grain are cooled be in existence permanently, since no change of air takes place iiithe presence of the cooled grain, and finally organiclife is impossible in the cooled grain.

In thefirawing a device for carrying out The the process is illustrated in vertical section.

c In a suitable building a' several com art-- ments 6 c c c a are arranged, in w ich the oompartmentor cell 6 serves for the cooling of the grain, which latter is conveyed to the storage compartments or cells 0 c a 0.'after cooling. The walls (1 surrounding all these cells are provided with hollow spaces e, while spaces f g are provided above and below said cells communieating with spaces 6. The compartment 6 possesses a casing it provided with perfora,

tions k, which casing is distanced from the wall I) of the compartment, and is" in com-.

munication with the space 7 on the top of i said compartment by means of openings 6 In the centre of the compartment 1) a ipe 70 having perforations k is provided, w ich is led t rough the bottom of the compart ment and coupledto the. re'ssure side of a fan Z. Besides, the pipe a lateral openin k leading into the chamber g. The suction side of the fan Z is connected by means of a pipe m to an air cool-, in device of any suitable construction.

is provided with he grain o is in the first place fed into is the cool air enters the space 9 and owe through the spaces e in the walls surrounding the compartments, reaches the space 7 on the top of said compartments and ultimately will leave said space through the pipe 2. By means of the described device the graln is in the first place cooled in the cooling compartment 6 and then stored in the compartments 0 c c c which latter are permanently cooled from outside.

I claim:

1. The method of storing grain, which comprises circulating cold air through the grain and then storing the grain while cold without access to the outer air and without circulation through the grain, maintaining the low temperature of the grain during its storage without access to the cooling me dium. I

2. The method of storing grain, which comprises cooling the grain while reventing the condensation of atmospheric moiscomprises cooling the grain by circulating therethrough a current of cold air thereby preventing the condensation thereon of atmospheric moisture, then storing the grain e. v 3. The method of storing grain, which without access of air and without circulation therethrough in closed bins, and circulating about said bins cold air to maintain "the temperature first imparted to the grain.

4. The method of storing grain, which comprises cooling the grain to about 0 C. by circulating therethrough a current oi cold air, thereby preventing the condensa tion thereon of atmospheric moisture, then storing the grain Without access of air and without circulation therethrough in closed bins, and circulating about said bins cold air to maintain the temperature first imparted to the grain. v

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as myinvention I have signed my name to this specification.

KARL Dinner. 

